Not a Word is an understated film with a slow build that packs full-body punches in the third act. There are many moving parts to what initially seems to be a simple story of a son’s teen angst vs. his mother’s artistic passion for her career. However, as complications unfurl, successive layers of trauma come to the surface. Nina’s ambition parallels that of Lydia Tár in Tár, starring Cate Blanchett as a conductor who is also looking to make a statement with Mahler’s 5th. There are other parallels between the characters, but Nina is clearly looking for a way out of the hole she’s dug for herself and her son, whereas Lydia is sunk in a narcissistic mire of her creation. The beauty of the deserted island turns to fearful desolation as storms approach, and the wild wrath of the seas and winds matches the uncontained fury between the main characters.
Of course, Eggert and Nicolai’s key performances focus the film, centering it in the middle of storms, both emotional and literal. The music is another cornerstone of the cinematic experience and is used to great effect here. The artful cinematography, ranging from the intimate surroundings of a dense cityscape to the windswept rocks of the holiday island, provides the final piece of the puzzle.
“Without being overly ‘arty,’ it’s an intelligent film for a savvy audience.”
Slak took much of the relationship dynamic in Not A Word from her experiences with her mother. She hopes to turn the question of professional women having it all on its head. When asked in an interview with Variety about that, she replied, “I wanted to draw from my own experience and the experiences of people around me and maybe ignite another thought: Is it at all possible to be a good enough artist without having those significant relationships, the experiences which are, of course, up and down experiences, which take us to the depths and to the heights of our lives? Can somebody be a truly great artist and have a truly fulfilling artistic career without living those experiences and those relationships as well?”
Hanna Antonina Wojcik Slak gives us a satisfying exploration of that question and a fulfilling cinematic experience in Not A Word. Without being overly “arty,” it’s an intelligent film for a savvy audience.
Not A Word screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
"…centering it in the middle of storms, both emotional and literal."
